Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1970, Page 118

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
Summer nnoon. People observed the „summer moon“ in the following way:
The first time you saw the moon after the First Day of Summer, you should keep
your mouth shut until somebody addressed you. What then was said to you, was
a sort af an oracle. An engaged girl had seen the „summer moon". She went
indoors and sat down on a chair. Somebody said to her: „Beware, he (the chair)
is shaky“. The boy betrayed the girl that very summer. This was called „to
get an answer in the summer moon“.
Summer presents. The custom to give presents on the First Day of Summer
seems to have been more common than the custom of Christmas presents, espec-
ially in the central regions of the north and east. But in many parts of the north-
west it seems to have been almost unknown. Most summer presents were home
made things. On the south-west coast fishermen used to give their wives all
the fish they caught on that day, for their private use.
Food and drink. House-wives tried their best to mark the day with something
special in food and drink, but too often there was not much left of the winter
supply. In the northernmost part of the north-west people used to put aside
some deiicacies in the autumn and keep them in a closed barrel till the First
Day of Summer. These were smoked mutton or other sheep products which
had either been smoked or conserved in sour milk. Fresh meat was rare, except
veal exceptionally. Choice parts of halibut were also coveted. Also coffee and
sweet cakes, when such luxuries were available. Summerday cakes made
of rye, were something special in the north-west of the country. They
were up to 30 cm in diameter and 1—-2 cm thick. Each person on the
farm got such a cake, and on top of it meat, butter or other things. People
used to eat a small bit of it every day while it lasted. Strong drinks seem to
have been most usual in the central regions of the north and east. On the
south and west coast the skipper used to give a party for his crew, including
alcoholic refreshments.
First summemight. Almost everywhere people observed whether the tempera-
ture fell below zero on the first summer night, i. e. whether summer and winter
„froze together“. This was considered a good omen, most commonly because the
sheep milk then would be rich and fat during the summer. Since thermometers
were rare, people used to put out a plate or some other container with water
in it, and then made their observations in the morning. Another method, menti-
oned in folk tales, was to walk bare-footed around the farm houses in order to
find out whether the grass was frozen. This was not confirmed by any of our
informants.
Dedication. In most parts of the country the day was dedicated to young
people, but it varies from area to area whether it belongs to boys or girls. In
the west and north-west it belongs to young men, but in other parts of the
country it is dedicated to young girls. Those, whom the day belonged to, were
to help prepare the feast, and, in the boys’ districts, they were to be the first to
get out of bed in the morning and the first to go out and welcome summer.
But it was considered wise for everyone to get up early that morning. This pre-
dicted the same habit for the rest of the summer.
Leave from work. In most parts of the country the day was a holiday, apart
from feeding and milking animals. Fishermen used to go out fishing, but not as
far as usual. At noon people usually put on their best clothes. In one part of
the north-west it does not seem to have been a holiday at all. Many people in